"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Tired but I ain't sleeping
Thinking about some sad affair
And why I should be leaving
'cause some of these thoughts only seem to take me outta here
Yeah, these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Well these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Thinking about tomorrow
Tired from all the time I spare
On what I still believe in
When none of my talk ever seems to get me anywhere
Yeah, these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Well these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
So easy
So long
Bye, my friend, so long
So long
Will it ever happen again?
You know that I've been waiting for you
I've been created for you
So long
You know the light ain't fading from you
Nothing could save me from you
So long
Tired but I ain't dreaming
Falling into solid air
And why I must be leaving
Or one of these days I'm gonna pull out all my hair
Yeah, these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Well these habits are so hard to make
And they're so easy to break
So easy
So long
Bye, my friend, so long
So long
Will it ever happen again?
You know that I've been waiting for you
I've been created for you
So long
You know the light ain't fading from you
Nothing could save me from you
So long
Thinking about some sad affair
And why I should be leaving
'cause some of these thoughts only seem to take me outta here
Yeah, these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Well these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Thinking about tomorrow
Tired from all the time I spare
On what I still believe in
When none of my talk ever seems to get me anywhere
Yeah, these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Well these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
So easy
So long
Bye, my friend, so long
So long
Will it ever happen again?
You know that I've been waiting for you
I've been created for you
So long
You know the light ain't fading from you
Nothing could save me from you
So long
Tired but I ain't dreaming
Falling into solid air
And why I must be leaving
Or one of these days I'm gonna pull out all my hair
Yeah, these habits are so hard to break
And they're so easy to make
Well these habits are so hard to make
And they're so easy to break
So easy
So long
Bye, my friend, so long
So long
Will it ever happen again?
You know that I've been waiting for you
I've been created for you
So long
You know the light ain't fading from you
Nothing could save me from you
So long
Lyrics submitted by AgathaKavka
Thinking About Tomorrow Lyrics as written by Beth Orton Ted Barnes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Dreamwalker
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This song is so brilliant it's tough to make an interpretation without being metaphorical.
With all the contradictions she has of herself (I've been waiting for you, Nothing can save me from you)the song teaches a thing or two about balance: between heart and soul, theory and method, insanity and sobriety, talking and walking.
I'm amazed how she recognizes her demons (Bye, my friends so long), but I'm dumbfounded how she manages to make a resolve on an emotional level that few of us ever achieve.
Really beautiful and powerful song. I agree, she's got a great voice. I don't even particularly like this style of singing/music, but it rips right to the core my soul whenever I hear it.
"So long, bye my friend, so long So long, will it ever happen again?"
'Can we just be friends ?'. Ever heard that before ? I think after great deliberation she realizes that they CAN'T be friends, or at least can't carry on that type of relationship. Her feelings are still too strong. So...it's time to say 'goodbye'...for the good of her 'tomorrows'.
Unless you've lived in a cave your whole life, pretty much anyone can identify with how hard it can be to let go of people, places, and even things. But somehow or other we gotta move forward. And despite the fact that the music itself has kind of a sad lilt to it, there's also a resonant strength in the harmonies when she says 'So long'. It's got the ring of hope to it.
Very moving track...
This same exact thing is happening to me, right now...I can't let go of him, or the times we shared...I can't let go of anything that happened. But he won't even SPEAK to me at the moment...and even if he was speaking to me, there's no way I could be his friend, which he has made clear is the most I can be (for now).
"Will it ever happen again?" is the question that seems to run through my mind, nonstop...
Anyway...enough with my pity party! This song is hauntingly beautiful and sad, but I also can see a bit of hope in the strong way she sings towards the end. It sometimes hurts a bit to listen to music that hits home so intensely, but maybe I can feel that hope soon as well, like she seems to.
Such a lovely, lovely song.
@Screecher All these years later...did he ever speak to you? How are you now?
@Screecher literally just created an account to ask the same thing.
Personally, I dedicate this song to Juanse ...I hope I can tell him the interpretation one fine day :(
this has to be one of my favorite songs of everything i listen to. I never took time to look at the lyrics i just love her dulcet voice and the way the song flows. I think she is trying to say how hard it is to stop being in love with someone you have loved for so long. Whoever he is, he no longer has the same feelings for her and she wants to stop being in love with him but cant stop thinking about him. The last line especially ties the whole song together with a hopeful line, "nothing could save me from you, so long" shes giving up and letting her feelings go. amazing
This song is so beautiful. I think its about struggling to put the past behind you and move forward. The last verse befor the chorus is: These habits are so hard to break and they're so easy to make, These habits are so hard to make and they're so easy to break. So easy yeah
^
no it's not.
Wake up people! This song is about drugs.
@Kvng It definitely sounds like addiction or dependency, which is a theme that can be applied in a lot of places. But yeah, this adds up to substance abuse more than a love affair. Addicts refer to their booze, drugs etc. as "friends" all the time.